POKER TOURNAMENT DIRECTORS ASSOCIATION 2011 Rules Version 2.0, Sept. 22, 2011 The Poker TDA is comprised of poker room personnel from around the world whose objective is to draft a standardized set of rules for poker tournaments. The following TDA rules supplement the standard or "house rules" of this card room/casino. In case of conflict between these rules and the rules & regulations of the applicable gaming agency, the agency rules apply. General Concepts 1: Floor People Floor people are to consider the best interest of the game and fairness as top priorities in the decision-making process. Unusual circumstances can on occasion dictate that decisions in the interest of fairness take priority over the technical rules. The floorperson's decision is final. 2: Official Language The English-only rule will be enforced in the United States during the play of hands. English will be used in international play along with the local or native language. 3: Official Terminology of Tournament Poker Official terms are simple, unmistakable, time-honored declarations like: bet, raise, call, fold, check, all-in, pot (in pot-limit only), and complete. Regional terms may also meet this standard. The use of non-standard language is at player’s risk because it may result in a ruling other than what the player intended. It is the responsibility of players to make their intentions clear. See Rules 36 & 44. 4: Communication Players may not talk on the phone while at the poker table. House rules apply to all other forms of electronic devices. Seating Players; Breaking & Balancing Tables 5: Random Correct Seating Tournament and satellite seats will be randomly assigned. A player who started the tournament in the wrong seat with the correct chip stack amount will be moved to the correct seat and will take his current total chip stack with him. 6: Special Needs Accommodations for players with special needs will be made when possible. 7: Breaking Tables Players going from a broken table to fill in seats assume the rights and responsibilities of the position. They can get the big blind, the small blind, or the button. The only place they cannot get a hand is between the small blind and the button. 8: Balancing Tables A: In flop and mixed games when balancing tables, the player who will be big blind next will be moved to the worst position, including taking a single big blind when available, even if that means the seat will have the big blind twice. Worst position is never the small blind. In stud-only events, players will be moved by position (the last seat to open up at the short table is the seat to be filled). The table from which a player is moved will be as specified by a predetermined procedure. Play will halt on any table that is 3 or more players short. B: In mixed games (example: HORSE), when the game shifts from hold’em to stud, after the last hold’em hand the button is moved exactly to the position it would be if the next hand was hold’em and then frozen there during the stud round. The player moved during stud is the player who would be the big blind if the game was hold’em for that hand. When hold'em resumes the button for the first hand will be at the position where it was frozen. 9: Number of Players at Final Table In flop games, the final table will consist of 10 players. In six-handed games, the final table will consist of 7 players. In stud games, the final table will consist of 9 players. In a seven- handed event (example: 2-7 draw lowball) the final table will consist of 8 players. Pots / Showdown 10: Declarations Cards speak. Verbal declarations as to the content of a player's hand are not binding; however, any player deliberately miscalling his hand may be penalized. 11: Face Up for All-Ins All cards will be turned face up without delay once a player is all-in and all betting action by all other players in the hand is complete. 12: Showdown Order In a non-all-in showdown, at the end of the last round of betting, the player who made the last aggressive action in that betting round must show first. If there was no bet in the last round, the player to the left of the button shows first and so on clockwise. In stud, the player with the high board must show first. In razz, the lowest board shows first. 13: Playing the Board at Showdown. A player must show all hole cards when playing the board in order to get part of the pot. 14: Asking to See a Hand. Except where house policy requires a hand to be shown or provides an express right to see a hand on request, asking to see a hand is a privilege granted at TD’s discretion to protect the integrity of the game (suspicion of invalid hand, collusion, etc). This privilege is not to be abused. A player who mucks his hand face down at showdown without fully tabling it loses any rights he may have to ask to see any hand. 15: Killing Winning Hand Dealers cannot kill a winning hand that was tabled and was obviously the winning hand. Players are encouraged to assist in reading tabled hands if it appears that an error is about to be made. 16: Awarding Odd Chips The odd chip goes to the high hand. In flop games when there are 2 or more high hands or 2 or more low hands, the odd chip(s) will go to the left of the button. In stud, the odd chip goes to the high card by suit. However, when hands have identical value (ex: a wheel in Omaha/8) the pot will be split as evenly as possible. 17: Side Pots Each side pot will be split separately. 18: Disputed Pots The right to dispute a hand ends when a new hand begins. See Rule # 19. General Procedures 19: New Hand & New Limits When time has elapsed in a round and a new level is announced by a member of the tournament staff, the new level applies to the next hand. A hand begins with the first riffle. If an automatic shuffler is being used, the hand begins when the green button is pushed. 20: Chip Race When it is time to color-up chips, they will be raced off with a maximum of one chip going to any player. The chip race will always start in the No.1 seat. A player cannot be raced out of a tournament: a player who loses his remaining chip(s) in a chip race will be given one chip of the smallest denomination still in play. Players are encouraged to witness the chip race. 21: Chip Stacks Kept Visible & Countable Players are entitled to a reasonable estimation of an opponent's chip count; thus chips should be kept in countable stacks. The TDA recommends clean stacks in multiples of 20 as a standard. Players must keep their higher denomination chips visible and identifiable at all times. Tournament directors will control the number & denomination of chips in play and may color up at their discretion. Discretionary color ups are to be announced. 22: Deck Changes Deck changes will be on the dealer push or level changes or as prescribed by the house. Players may not ask for deck changes. 23: Re-buys A player may not miss a hand. If a player announces the intent to rebuy before a new hand, he is playing chips behind and is obligated to make the re-buy. 24: Calling for a Clock Once a reasonable amount of time has passed & a clock is called for, a player will be given a maximum of one minute to make a decision. If action has not been taken before time expires, there will be a 10-second countdown followed by a declaration to the effect that the hand is dead. If the player has not acted before the declaration, the hand is dead. 25: Rabbit Hunting No rabbit hunting is allowed. Rabbit hunting is revealing any cards “that would have come” if the hand had not ended. Player Present / Eligible for Hand 26: At Your Seat A player must be at his seat by the time all players have been dealt complete initial hands in order to have a live hand. A player must be at his seat to call time. 27: Action Pending A player must remain at the table if he has a live hand. Button / Blinds 28: Dead Button Tournament play will use a dead button. 29: Dodging Blinds Players who intentionally dodge any blind when moving from a broken table will incur a penalty. 30: Button in Heads-up In heads-up play, the small blind is on the button and acts first pre-flop and last on all subsequent betting rounds. The last card is dealt to the button. When beginning heads-up play, the button may need to be adjusted to ensure no player takes the big blind twice in a row. Dealing Rules 31: Misdeals In stud-type games, if any of the player's two down cards are exposed due to dealer error it is a misdeal. In flop games, misdeals include but are not necessarily limited to: a) exposure of one of the first two cards dealt; b) two or more exposed or boxed cards; c) first card dealt to the wrong seat; d) cards dealt to a seat not entitled to a hand; e) a seat entitled to a hand is dealt out.